July 26, 2013 | Read Time: 2 minutes
The Ford Foundation’s board has made an outstanding choice in selecting Darren Walker to lead this major philanthropic institution so critical to the social-justice infrastructure in the United States and beyond.
I met Darren 11 years ago when he was hired to take a position at the Rockefeller Foundation that I felt I had earned. To my surprise, he quickly became the best boss I ever had and a wonderful role model. He is charming, self-deprecating, funny, and very smart.
Staff members will find that Darren is committed to their goals and values. He understands the work. He is a quick study. He will listen to their expertise, ask hard questions, and once he is satisfied they know what they are doing and have fashioned a smart strategy, he will defend their programs and promote their work.
He is direct and open; nobody ever wonders where they stand with him. He has no ego and eschews hierarchy. If there is a management problem, he’ll fix it—with respect and compassion, and without drama.
Grantees will find that Darren understands their aspirations. He grew up in a small town in Texas, where people didn’t have much but families shared what they had. He is grounded. He is comfortable in his own skin. He has no airs.
But don’t be mistaken: Darren is serious about social change and realistic about the time and work and investment that change takes. He is respectful of social-change work. He listens intently and absorbs. And he is a decisive, efficient, effective manager.
Perhaps most important, he has a broad view of the social-justice landscape and understands the critical role that the Ford Foundation plays in it. He will not close down the flow of grant funds while the foundation goes into planning mode. If he thinks big changes need to be made in a grant-making program, he’ll make sure they’re done a responsible way.
While small foundations often recruit staff members from bigger institutions, the largest and most influential foundations in the United States tend to recruit from outside of philanthropy—from the corporate or political worlds or academe.
Such choices fail to acknowledge that people learn special skills when they become grant makers and that knowledge is critical to building an effective vision for any institution in it. The Ford Foundation’s appointment of a person from within the field for the presidency sends a message of self-confidence to everyone in philanthropy.
The Ford Foundation’s board deserves a round of applause. This is the most important decision of their service and they’ve made a great one.
Katherine McFate is chief executive of the Center for Effective Government.
